Mental Health During Early Adolescence and Later Cardiometabolic Risk: A Prospective Study of US Latinx Youth

Authors

Kathleen M. Roche, Department of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.. Electronic address: kroche@gwu.edu.
Katherine B. Ehrlich, Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.
Elizabeth Vaquera, Department of Sociology and Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration, George Washington University, NW, Washington, D.C.
Todd D. Little, Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas; School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China; Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

10-10-2023

Journal

The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine

DOI

10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.08.026

Keywords

Cardiometabolic risk; Latinx adolescents; Mental health; Structural equation modeling

Abstract

PURPOSE: Rising rates of cardiometabolic risk and mental health problems are serious public health concerns for US adolescents, particularly those of Latinx origin. This research examines how Latinx youth's internalizing symptoms during early adolescence are related to sleep problems, overweight/obesity, sedentary behavior, physical activity, healthy diet, and hypertension or diabetes risk during middle and late adolescence. METHODS: Participants included 547 adolescents listed as "Hispanic" on 2017-18 middle school enrollment lists in a suburban Atlanta, GA school district. Survey data collected at baseline (2018) and four years later (2022) were analyzed using Structural Equation Model. Path estimates from baseline internalizing symptoms to later health behaviors and physical health outcomes adjusted for demographics, the follow-up measure of internalizing symptoms, and correlations among outcome variables. Missing data were handled using Full Information Maximum Likelihood. RESULTS: At baseline, the 244 (44.6%) male and 303 (55.4%) female participants had a mean (standard deviation) age in years of 13.31 (0.97). Early adolescent internalizing symptoms were associated positively with later sleep problems (ß = 0.36 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.24-0.48]), overweight/obesity (adjusted odds ratio, 2.57; 95% CI, 1.29-5.15), sedentary behavior (ß = 0.19 [95% CI, 0.09-0.30]), and internalizing symptoms (ß = 0.48 [95% CI, 0.39-0.56]) and inversely with later physical activity (ß = -0.16 [95% CI, -0.27 to -0.05]) and a healthy diet (ß = -0.21 [95% CI, -0.32 to -0.09]). DISCUSSION: Latinx youth's internalizing symptoms during early adolescence not only track into later adolescence, but they also relate to health behaviors and outcomes underlying cardiometabolic risk during middle and late adolescence.

APA Citation

Roche, Kathleen M.; Ehrlich, Katherine B.; Vaquera, Elizabeth; and Little, Todd D., "Mental Health During Early Adolescence and Later Cardiometabolic Risk: A Prospective Study of US Latinx Youth" (2023). GW Authored Works. Paper 3621.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/3621

Department

Prevention and Community Health